Astilbe plant named ‘Chocolate Shogun’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Astilbe  named ‘Chocolate Shogun’ that is characterized by its dark purple foliage and its pale pinkish white flowers.

Botanical classification: Astilbe thunbergii.

Varietal denomination: ‘Chocolate Shogun’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe thunbergii and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Chocolate Shogun’. ‘Chocolate Shogun’ represents a new Astilbe, an herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.

‘Chocolate Shogun’ originated as a seedling that arose from seed planted from open pollination of unnamed plants of Astilbe thunbergii in Aomori, Japan. ‘Chocolate Shogun’ was selected as a single unique plant in June of 2010 from amongst the resulting seedlings.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by division by the Inventor in Aomori, Japan in July of 2012. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Chocolate Shogun’ as a unique cultivar of Astilbe.

-   -   1. ‘Chocolate Shogun’ exhibits very dark purple foliage.     -   2. ‘Chocolate Shogun’ exhibits pale pinkish white flowers.

‘Chocolate Shogun’ can be compared to typical plants of the female parent species Astilbe thunbergii, which differ from ‘Chocolate Shogun’ in having green foliage. ‘Chocolate Shogun’ can also be compared to the cultivar Astilbe ‘Lollypop’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,966), which differs from ‘Chocolate Shogun’ in having dark green foliage, a more dense and compact plant habit, and flowers that are deeper pink in color. There are no cultivars of Astilbe thunbergii known to the Inventor with dark purple foliage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The plants in the photographs depict a 2 year-old plant of ‘Chocolate Shogun’ as grown outdoors in a 1.5-liter container near Nagasaki, Japan.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of ‘Chocolate Shogun’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the new and mature foliage of ‘Chocolate Shogun’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up the flowers of ‘Chocolate Shogun’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the digital photography and printing techniques utilized and the color codes in the detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of the new Astilbe.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of 12-month-old plants as grown outdoors in 17-cm containers in Lisse, The Netherlands. Plants were grown under average day temperatures ranging from 15° to 30° C. and average night temperatures ranging from 6° to 15° C. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:     -   -   Blooming period.—Early to mid summer in The Netherlands.         -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Plant habit.—Clump-forming, broadly upright.         -   Height and spread.—100 cm in height (in bloom) and 60 cm             spread.         -   Hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zones 5 to 9.         -   Diseases and pests.—Has been observed to have healthy             foliage, no particular disease or pest resistance or             susceptibility has been observed.         -   Propagation.—Division or tissue culture.         -   Growth rate.—Moderate to high. -   Stem description:     -   -   Stem color.—A color between N186C and 187A.         -   Stem shape.—Round.         -   Stem size.—Average of 50.3 cm in length (including peduncle)             and 4 mm in diameter.         -   Stem surface.—Glossy and covered with very short strigose             hairs average of 0.1 mm and matches stem color.         -   Stem aspect.—Very strong and upright.         -   Branching habit.—Stems grow from the base. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf division.—Compound.         -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Leaf shape.—Biternate, (deltoid to broad ovate in outline).         -   Leaf number.—Average of 1 per lateral branch.         -   Internode length.—Only one stem leaf present, average of             22.5 cm from the base of plant to stem leaf.         -   Leaf size.—Average of 30.5 cm in length (excluding petiole)             and 32.5 cm in width.         -   Leaflet color.—Young foliage upper and lower surface; 176A             to 178B, mature foliage upper surface; 203B, mature foliage             lower surface; N200B.         -   Leaflet quantity.—Average of 6 per leaf.         -   Leaflet shape.—Ovate to broad elliptic.         -   Leaflet and leaflet base.—Cordate to hastate (touching to             slightly overlapping).         -   Leaflet and leaflet apex.—Apiculate.         -   Leaflet venation.—Pinnate, color of upper surface; 203B,             color of lower surface; 185B.         -   Leaflet margins.—Biserrate.         -   Leaflet size.—Average of 8.9 cm in length and 5.4 cm in             width.         -   Leaflet surface.—Upper surface is glossy, lower surface is             moderately rugose and rough to the touch due to being             sparsely covered with very short strigose hairs; average of             0.1 mm in length and 156D in color.         -   Petioles.—Leaf; average of 10 cm in length, 3 mm in diameter             and 187A to 187B in color, glabrous surface, leaflet;             average of 3.6 mm in length and 1.5 mm in diameter, 187B to             187C in color, glabrous surface. -   Flower description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Numerous single rotate shaped flowers             arranged on pyramidal panicles.         -   Inflorescence aspect.—Upright and held above foliage.         -   Inflorescence size.—Average of 45 cm in height and 32.2 cm             in width.         -   Flower fragrance.—Moderate, sweet and pleasant fragrance.         -   Flower quantity.—Average of 2,000 per inflorescence.         -   Flower lastingness.—Average of 10 days.         -   Flower buds.—Elliptic in shape, average of 3 mm in length             and 1.5 mm in diameter, color; 144C, apex is 58B to 58C.         -   Flower aspect.—Upright, outward, and drooping.         -   Flower shape.—Rotate.         -   Flower size.—About 6 mm in depth and 8 mm in diameter.         -   Petals.—Average of 5, oblanceolate in shape, margin is             entire, apex is broadly acute, average of 4 mm in length and             1 mm in width, color: upper and lower surface when opening;             NN155B to NN155C, upper and lower surface when fully open;             NN155A to NN155B, both surfaces fading to NN155A.         -   Calyx.—Campanulate, average of 2.5 mm in length and 2.5 mm             in diameter.         -   Sepals.—5, ovate in shape, margin is entire, apex is acute,             base is cuneate and fused, surface is matte and glabrous,             arrangement is rotate and cup-shaped, color of upper and             lower surface when immature; 144C, tip is 58B to 58C, color             of upper and lower surface when mature; 150D, tip is 58D,             about 1.5 mm in width and 2.5 mm in length.         -   Peduncles.—Average of 44.2 cm in length and 2 mm in             diameter, held at 0° (straight upright), peduncles of             secondary racemes; held at an average angle of 35°, strong,             color is 184B to 184C, glabrous surface.         -   Pedicels.—About 1 mm in length and 0.5 mm in width, held at             an average angle of 45°, 185D in color, glabrous surface. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Gynoecium.—2 Pistils, about 2 mm in length, stigma is             club-shaped and N155B in color, style is about 1.8 mm in             length and N155B in color, ovary is 58C in color.         -   Androcoecium.—Up to 10 stamens, anthers are ovate in shape,             basifixed, about 0.5 mm in length and 158D in color,             filaments are about 2.5 mm in length and 155A in color,             pollen is low in quantity and 156D in color.         -   Seed and fruit.—No seeds or fruit have been detected to             date. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe plant named ‘Chocolate Shogun’ as herein illustrated and described. 